Forever My Love
by RomanticCreator
Summary: "What would you do if the most important person in your life forgot who you were? If all the memories you shared together were suddenly wiped away?" He knew her name. He didn't remember the history they shared. And it broke her. But there was a bigger problem at hand. A much bigger problem. Would she be able to stay strong, even when her best friend didn't recognize who she was?
1. My Story

My story. I remember when I was first asked that, and I remember who asked it. A siren. A crafty mer-witch. I don't remember her name exactly, but she had long, bright red hair. "What _is_ your story?" she had asked after she was finished telling me about how she had been around since the dawn of time. "What is your story? How did you become who you are today?" My answer was simple. In a sense...

About one hundred years ago, my grandfather, Darius, made a deal with the Guardian of Fear. Apparently, Fear was going to take his brother's soul and use it as his own, to keep himself from dying. My grandfather pleaded with him for seven years, and after reaching no solid agreement, he made one last desperate attempt. He told Fear that if he left his brother's soul alone, he could have any one of his descendants he pleased. And so, Fear told him, "I accept this offer. And I know which one of your descendants I will choose. She will be young, bold, and know no fear of anything but fear itself. She will be of your blood, and your blood only. She will be your granddaughter. And on the Christmas Eve of her seventeenth year, I will come for her. She will be my second in command, and I will keep her soul for the rest of eternity."

Hearing this, my grandfather tried to take back his offer. I guess he did actually take into consideration what his selfish offer might do to me, but it was too late. Fear left his brother, and never returned. And so, fifty years later, I was born. And my grandfather knew, I was the one Fear was referring to all those years ago.

My grandfather was good to me. He never yelled at me, never told me what to do, and always gave me the things I wanted or needed. Not that a young girl living in the mid-eighteenth century could ask for much. But everything he did was for me. And the day I turned seventeen was the day that I realized why.


	2. The Childhood We Shared

"Annaliese! Come on! You're so slow!" I moved my legs as fast as they would move in the cold snow. Stumbling as I did, I leapt over a thick fallen tree, nearly landing face down in the white powder. "Hurry up!"

I was seven at the time.

"Jack, where are we going?" I called to my friend.

Back then, Jack didn't have the white hair and blue eyes he's famous for now, the same way I didn't have golden eyes and black curly hair all my life. He had ashy brown hair and dark hazel eyes. I had brown eyes and dark blonde hair. "Tell me!"

"You'll see!" he called back, keeping a far distance ahead of me. "Hurry!"

Finally, he stopped running and gave me a chance to catch up to him. When I reached him, he grabbed the sleeve of my heavy grey winter dress and began tugging me along with him, which didn't help much. I was practically dragged along next to him, my face and upper body acting like a magnet to the cold snow. I brushed it away and regained my footing, only to trip once again and go tumbling down a rather steep hill with Jack alternating between being on top of and under me.

We stopped abruptly after slamming into a large pile of hardened snow. Jack pushed himself clumsily to his feet, letting me up, and roughly tugged me to my feet as well.

"Ooh, we're here," he said. I rubbed the back of my head and brushed the snow out of my hair. "Come on!"

I peered around the pile of snow to see a beautiful frozen lake. Overhanging it were leafless trees with icicles dangling from the branches. It took my breath away.

"Wow..." I breathed. I immediately threw myself onto the ice, slipping and sliding around before I regained my balance and danced effortlessly around on it. I let out a high pitched giggle. "It's beautiful."

"I know," Jack said, a bit proudly. "I found it last week and I thought I should show you, since you're my best friend."

I smiled ear to ear at him and giggled again.

* * *

We didn't visit that frozen lake again for many more years. I was sixteen when we finally did. I took Jack there again because I wanted him to remember all the childhood memories we had together the way I remembered them. Vividly and perfectly.

"Jack, have you noticed..." I skipped over the fallen tree that had been there ever since I was born. "...that as we've gotten older..." I turned completely around to make sure he was still following. "...I've become the faster one?"

"Lies," he said simply, shaking his head and jogging effortlessly through the snow to catch up to me.

I laughed and ruffled his brown hair fondly. Ducking away, he reached back and did the same to me, which I hated.

We reached the frozen lake and I sighed. A smile etched its way across my lips as I threw myself onto the ice as I did when I was a child.

"Ugh, isn't it just as beautiful as it was eight years ago?" I said, spinning on the ice.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. I looked over to him. He was staring at something behind me. I turned my head to what was mesmerizing the boy.

A large weeping willow tree, covered in frost and with icicles hanging from its tendrils, was standing just in front of the ice. I smiled as Jack passed me and vanished into the tree's long thin vines. I laughed and quickly followed.

The tendrils tugged at my hair as I pushed them aside to go underneath. I let out a small gasp. It was simply beautiful under the tree's leaves. The trunk sitting in the middle, it too was covered in a layer of frost. Jack pressed his hand against it, making it partially melt at the sudden warmth.

Imagine being encased in a large white icy room, with a thick layer of puffy snow acting as a carpet floor, and sunlight peeking in and making everything sparkle.

I stepped up next to Jack and pressed my hand against the bark as he did, shuddering at the cold coming into contact with my palm. I grinned at Jack, who mirrored me perfectly. His hair seemed to be a pale white color as the frost of the tree reflected off of it. I wondered if I looked as beautiful as he did. He smiled sweetly at me and blinked, his hazel eyes almost matching the color of the tree bark not covered by ice.

"How could we not have noticed this before?" I sighed.

Jack shrugged. "Well, I was too busy watching you skate around on the lake like a child," he teased. "And you were too busy skating on the lake. Like a child."

"I _was _a child," I retorted, but I couldn't help but laugh. I lightly pulled a section of his hair, which still reflected the white frost on the tree tendrils. "White looks good on you."

"Yeah, not yet," he said, pushing my hand away. "Not until I'm older."

I grinned mischievously.

We remained under the tree for a good two hours, just talking about random nothings that were happening in our lives. Jack pulled a piece of metal from his shoe and carved his name into the tree. He handed it to me, and I did the same.

"I'll have to bring Jane down here sometime," he commented as we sat next to each other in the snow against the tree trunk. "She'd like it."

"What seven year old wouldn't?" I asked.

He shrugged. "True," he agreed. We stayed silent for another moment. I noticed that the lighting under the tree was becoming darker, and apparently, so did Jack. He stood up. "I have to go or my parents'll wonder where I'm at."

"Just tell them you were with your favorite girl," I suggested with a laugh, taking his extended hand and getting to my feet as well.

"I'll do that," he said, brushing the snow off of my back.

We trudged back to our village, shoving each other into the snow along the way.


	3. Wine and Ice

I didn't see Jack for the entire next day, which was extremely rare. I figured he had taken Jane, his younger sister, to the frozen lake like he said he would. So for that day, I focused on playing my violin and piano, like my grandfather had taught me.

I stared out the window as I wrote an assortment of music notes on a dyed piece of paper. It was unlike Jack to not come by my house at least once, even if it was only for a short time or a quick hello. I shrugged my shoulders and continued writing, but couldn't shake the feeling that something had perhaps happened to my friend. After all, I hadn't even seen him walk to or from his house.

A few hours later, I heard my father open the front door. I put my violin down and walked out to the main room where he was, though I didn't see him.

"Annaliese," my mother called to me. I walked into the room she was in. She handed me a metal plate with two glasses of wine. "Take this to your father, won't you?" I nodded and took the plate from her.

I walked out of the kitchen, watching the red wine as the ripples became larger with every step I took. "Father, I-" I looked up at my father.

He was dressed in his heavy brown winter coat that drug on the floor. His expression was blank. In his arms, he held little Jane. Tears came like waterfalls on either side of her face, and she was drenched in water. I opened my mouth to ask her what had happened. Until I saw her and Jack's mother and father step out from behind my father. Their tears ran down their faces as Jane's did. My eyes widened.

I dropped the silver plate and the red wine stained the wooden floor.

* * *

The plate fell to the floor with a loud crash as the glasses shattered into tiny pieces, the red wine spreading on the floor and splattering on the bottom of my dress. Both of my hands went to my mouth to muffle my sob as I felt tears well up in my eyes, burning as they came.

I heard my mother walk up behind me. "Anna..." she breathed. My knees buckled underneath me and I dropped onto the floor, the cool wine sinking through the cloth of my dress and onto my knees, a strangled cry erupting from my throat. My fingers covered my eyes in an attempt to catch my tears. "Anna, I'm sorry." She put her hand on my shoulder. I slapped it away and climbed to my feet.

Grabbing my cloak from the hook it hung on, I threw it across my shoulders and bolted out the door, tying it around my neck as I ran.

I was almost to the frozen lake when I saw a crowd of people gathered around it. I tried to push my way through them, only to be stopped by the people who seemed to be set on not letting me though; they weren't even _trying_ to move for me.

I felt two hands on my shoulders. It was the blacksmith of my village. Ironically, his last name was Smith. "No, Anna," he said, pushing me backwards. Him being about two feet taller than me, I didn't protest. "It's not good."

"But I need to see him!" I insisted. "He...and I...but...please!" I jumped up and down, trying to see over the mammoth of a man. As I spoke, I started making more of those awful choking sounds that I made when I cried.

Smith only shook his head. "We don't have him," he told me. "His body, I mean. We...we can't find it." He pulled me in for a hug. Rather, he pulled me to him and pressed my face into his shoulder so I couldn't breathe. "We think he's still underwater but...we don't see him."

I pushed myself away. "So he drowned?" I half shrieked.

"Go home, Anna," Smith said, ignoring my question. "I'll let you know tomorrow if we find anything."

I shook my head stubbornly and crossed my arms, tears still streaming down my face. "No," I said. "No, I have to stay."

* * *

Eventually, I left. My father came with Jane to get me. It wasn't with ease, though. He had to practically drag me away, telling me that it was going to be alright and we were going to be fine.

Back at our house, I hugged Jane close to me for what seemed like an eternity. She was the only thing that I paid attention to now. She was a part of Jack. My dead friend. And she was alive because of him. Turns out he had drowned because she fell through the ice and he went after her.

Words can't even begin to explain how distraught I was. The tears seemed infinite, the sobs began to choke me to the point where I could hardly breathe, and after four hours, I wasn't able to stand or move at all. Jane and her mother and father went back to their home, and I stayed in our main room while my mother and father went to their room. I pulled my cloak around my shoulders and remained kneeling in the middle of the room. I had stopped crying, but my heart still ached. In a way, it didn't seem real. I didn't truly believe Jack was dead. I guess I hoped too much that he really wasn't dead, and that's why they couldn't find his body. I had a terrible habit of hoping for the best when I knew there was nothing good to come out of a situation.

* * *

Finally, at about midnight, I guessed, I gained control of my legs again. I stood up, with much difficulty since I had been kneeling for the past five hours, pushed my cloak off of my arms, and opened the door quietly.

The moon was full and shining brighter than I had ever seen it, giving the layer of snow on the ground an eerie sheen. I closed the door slowly behind me, careful not to let it squeak, and began walking down to the frozen lake.

The cold breeze whipped at my face, making me shiver. Not that I cared. My hair blew around my face, almost blinding me. I pushed on.

I reached the frozen lake. I felt a single tear make its way down my cheek, lining my jaw line as it reached the bottom of my face. I hardly dared to breathe as I stared at the large hole in the ice. Blinking back my tears, I cautiously stepped out onto the ice. Confident that I had my balance back, I began to walk towards the gap, which I realize wasn't the best idea, considering Jack had died because of the ice being too thin.

I carefully knelt down in front of the hole and peered into the water. The moonlight reflected off of the bottom of the lake, making it easier to see what was at the bottom. Rocks, a few plants, rocks. Smith was right. Jack wasn't there. I pushed my hair out of my face. Where was his body?

"Jack!" I called, standing up and twisting my head to look all around me. "Jack!" My heart shattered every time I shouted his name. "J-ack!" I yelled louder, desperate for a response. So desperately I wanted to hear his voice call my name... But I knew, deep inside, no answer would ever reach my ears.

I squeezed my eyes shut, causing more tears to flow. "Jack..." I choked out. I dropped slowly onto my knees and clutched my chest. "I'll miss you so much..." I leaned back and sat on the ice. I pulled my knees to my chest and stared at the large gaping hole just in front of me. The water inside it was still mirroring the full moon. I glanced up and saw the weeping willow tree I had spent my last day with Jack under.

I picked myself up and wandered over to it. Pushing the tendrils out of the way, I ducked and went under. I immediately went to the carvings we had made in the bark the day prior. _Annaliese and Jack_. I sighed, running my fingers along the letters.

I had never felt more alone. Jack wasn't just a friend to me, or a best friend, for that matter. No, he was more than that, more than a brother figure, even. I loved him. Maybe not in the way a husband would love his wife. I guess I wasn't quite sure in what way I was in love with Jack. But I knew I loved him. I loved his face, his voice, his smile, his smell, the way he moved, the way he looked at me. I just loved...him.

It was then, that exact moment, that I made a silent vow to myself and to my dead friend.

_I'll never love another person the way I loved you, Jackson Overland Frost._


	4. First Jack, then My Parents

I stayed under the tree for the entire night. My father eventually had to come and get me. By then, I had half frozen to death. But I didn't care.

Months passed, and not one day went by that I didn't cry at least one tear for Jack. I missed him so much my heart would literally ache. But there was still a tiny bit of hope that he wasn't dead. After all, I couldn't find his body, and neither could the others. _Maybe he climbed out of the lake and is living as a nomad, _I used to think. Childish dreams, I know. But what was I supposed to do, when my best friend was dead?

About four months after Jack's passing, my mother and father also died. There's not much of a story to tell. They went into their room for the night. And they never came out. I went upstairs to see what was wrong, and they had died in each other's arms. The only thing I found suspicious was the trail of odd black sand leading from their bedside to the window. There was nothing on the ground below, and there was no other sign of anyone or anything that may have entered their room in the night.

I mourned for them all, my parents and Jack. Though, I admit I was more upset about Jack's passing than my parents'. I know, that sounds terrible. But honestly, Jack was more of a family than the two of them were. Not to say that I disliked my parents; they took good care of me and loved me. But they never really listened to me, or payed attention to me, for that matter. Jack did. He listened to me, he stood by me. He was always there for me. He took care of me, and I did the same.

Obviously, I continued living in the same house I had been living in. Where else was there for me to go? I didn't have any other family to fall back on; they were either dead or lived miles away. True, I could have lived with Jack's mother and father and sister, but why would I _want_ to do that? Every time I would have looked at Jane, I would have seen Jack, and more likely than not would have broken down crying. And I would probably have only made them upset each day by talking about the things Jack and I used to get ourselves into. I know this may sound odd, but it made me feel better by talking about Jack. The more I did, the more I remembered him, and the better I saw the memories in my head.

* * *

**A/N:** **Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. It's basically just a little input of Anna's feelings regarding all the deaths she experienced and how they've effected her. Again, sorry! The next chapter will be longer. **


	5. Just a Dream

**A/N: So, I kinda feel like this is one of my weaker chapters... I'm not sure why. *sigh* All the same, please enjoy!**

* * *

One afternoon, I was sitting on the rooftop of my house, leaning my head against the brick chimney. It was mid-April. I was seventeen. A warm spring breeze blew around me. I took a deep breath and sighed. I was missing Jack, more so than my parents. I thought of him everyday. I heard his voice in my head, I felt his hands on my shoulders or playing with my hair, I felt his breath on the back of my neck. I knew I should have been feeling better and less lonely already about losing him; it had been almost five months since he died. But I didn't.

Taking on giant, precarious leap, I hopped off of my roof, landing awkwardly on my feet and using my right hand to keep from falling on my face. I shook my head and kicked my feet, making sure I didn't sprain my ankles.

What made me want to visit the lake Jack had died in, I'll never know. Maybe to reminisce. But the next thing I knew, I was standing a few feet in front of it. I blinked. Despite the horrible history I had with the lake, it looked beautiful in the spring. All the trees around it were bright green, the water was a lovely shade of blue, and the grass surrounding it blew gracefully in the wind. I allowed a small smile to creep onto my face as I scanned the water.

Something in the distance caught my eye. I put my hand above my forehead to block out the sunlight. Squinting my eyes, I tried to focus on the shape. Across the lake, by the weeping willow tree that Jack and I had loved so much, I saw a figure in a white shirt and brown pants walking around the tree. It lifted the willow's tendrils and ducked inside.

I tipped my head. Not only did almost no one come to the lake anymore, but I didn't recognize the figure at all; my village consisted of about three hundred people. Everyone knew each other. Quietly, I paced around to the other side of the lake, a task that took longer than few minutes, considering I couldn't just skate across the water anymore. Finally, I reached the tree.

I took a deep breath, gripped the tree's tendrils in my hand, and yanked them back.

I gasped silently. "Jack..." I breathed. He turned his head around, and I let the tendrils fall as I backed away. I took a few more steps back as I watched him duck out from under the tree.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if the boy I was looking at was Jack. He looked like him. Everything, except his eyes, which were an enchanting deep blue. And his hair, which was as white as winter snow.

I stopped backing up. "Jack?" I whispered, my eyes narrowed.

Icy blue eyes met my light brown ones as his eyebrows raised. "You can see me?" he said, looking me up and down.

I tipped my head. "Well, yeah..." I choked out. My breath caught in my throat. Was I really talking to Jack? _This is a dream, _I told myself. _I'm dreaming. And I'll wake up soon. So...I suppose I should enjoy this. _"It's really you?"

Jack grinned sweetly. "I guess so," he said. He held his arms out and I didn't hesitate to jump into them. I hugged him tightly around the neck, not wanting to ever let go. A few of my tears fell onto his shoulder as I felt his arms grip my back and his head press between my neck and shoulder. It felt like an eternity before I let go of him. I wiped my tears away with the skirt of my dress. Jack took it out of my hands and did the same. I grinned and ruffled his hair.

"I missed you," I blurted out sheepishly, my face growing hot with embarrassment "A lot."

"I missed you, too," Jack returned. I smiled at him, still getting accustomed to his white hair and blue eyes.

"Where did you go?" I asked, realizing the minute I spoke how childish the question sounded. I tucked my blonde hair behind my ear. "I thought you died... I was so upset..."

"Well, I did die," he told me. "But I got...reincarnated into...a...um..."

"Into a what?" I pressed.

"A winter spirit," he finished. "That's why my hair...and my eyes..."

"Oh," I said. "Well...I always thought white would look good on you."

* * *

Jack told me about how he had died, and how the Man in the Moon, who wasn't such a folk tale after all, had brought him back to life and made him a winter spirit. The entire time, I stared at him, glancing at his hair, then his eyes, then his hair. After he finished his story, I hugged him tightly again and kissed his cheek. I quickly backed away and put my head down, my hair falling around my face.

"I'm sorry, I just..." I let out an exasperated sigh. I looked up at him and stared at his blue eyes. "I just can't believe you...and, I...just...wow."

Jack grabbed my hands in his. I winced at how chilly they felt against mine, though it was the middle of spring. He sighed. "I did miss you," he told me. He pressed his lips to my hands.

I yanked them away and laughed. "I know," I said. I put my hand in the crook of where his neck and shoulder met. He sighed again and moved towards me, leaning his forehead against mine and closing his eyes. I realized then that he was a bit taller than me. I grinned. We had always been the exact same size...

"You know, I thought about you every night," he admitted. He backed away, went back under the willow tree, and came back with a long wooden staff in his hands. He twirled it in his hands and slid it across his shoulders. I grinned and clapped. "I'm serious."

"Really?" I said thoughtfully. Not that I didn't think of him every day, though. I walked closer to him, ducking so as to not be hit by the piece of wood.

"Yeah..." He planted his staff in the ground and leaned his head on it. I smiled at him and put my hand above his on the wood. "I didn't think I'd see you again...I mean, I knew I'd _see_ you again, but...I didn't think you would be able to see me."

"But I can," I said, laying my hand gently on his. He smiled.

* * *

For a few hours, at least, we sat at the lake and talked. Everything about him was the same, besides his hair and eyes, and he seemed fine. But I still couldn't believe that it was real. In my mind, it was only a dream. A fantastic dream, yes, but a very cruel one as well.

When the sun was well behind the trees, I stood up. "I have to go," I said.

"Why?" Jack asked, standing up next to me. "It's not like your parents will be wondering where you are anymore." I looked at him. "Sorry..." He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine," I said. I grinned and punched him in the arm lightly. "I just... don't want to get lost in the dark."

"Alright, then..." Jack said. I hugged him and ruffled his hair.

"I'll see you again, right?" I asked dumbly. I was sure the answer was going to be no. _This is only a dream, anyway. _

"Definitely," he said, nodding.


	6. The Makings of a Rebel

Another month passed. Jack kept coming back, kept visiting, every day. Like he said he would. It was at that time that I thought, _Maybe this isn't a dream after all_. No matter what day it was, no matter what the weather was like, Jack came. It was almost like it always had been when he was alive. Except now he had white hair and blue eyes.

We spent the majority of our time sitting under the willow tree, catching up with each other. I told Jack of how many illnesses had passed through the village, and how it was a miracle I didn't get sick. It would have been horrible if I had, though, considering that I was living alone.

"I'm glad you didn't get sick," he commented, pulling the grass from the ground. By now, it was late May. I found that my hair had darkened to a dirty blonde, but Jack's features were the same as they were when I last saw him when he was alive.

"So am I," I replied. I crossed my legs and scooted closer to Jack. "Tell me...what's it like being a winter spirit?"

"Oh," he said, straightening up. I could tell my question had caught him off guard. "Well...easy, I guess. I just have to make it snow in certain parts of the world. Whenever I'm told."

"Sounds fun," I laughed, pulling my knees to my chest.

Jack looked at me, and shook his head. "No," he said. "It's not. Really."

"How come?" I asked.

"Well, you have to die to become one..." he began. "At least, that's how I became one. And... the job is kind of eternal. So I'm never going to be able to just do whatever I want anymore."

"Oh, come on," I said, shoving him lightly. I stood up and walked in front of him. "Who cares what the Man in the Moon says? Or, whatever you called him...Mim! Who cares? You're a spirit now. You can do whatever you want. You shouldn't let yourself get tied down like this." I crossed my arms.

Jack just laughed and stood up in front of me. "You're right," he said. He put both his hands on my cheeks and shook my head around like an old woman would do to a baby. "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you." He said this in an irritating high pitched voice. Jackass.

I smirked and slapped his hands away. "Your luck could run out real fast if you do that again," I told him. "Seriously, though, you're a spirit. No one can hold you down now."

Jack only laughed this time. "You're crazy," he told me.

"No, I'm not," I said defensively.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry, this chapter is pretty short. I've been really busy lately and it's been hard for me to write or edit anything. Don't expect a new update every day now, because I'm afraid I'm only going to get busier as time goes on. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Again, sorry about the shortness! **


	7. Nightmares and Sickness

Time went fast from then on. I spent every day with Jack, as I always did. My life was going fine. No responsibilities, no one to take care of, except Jack of course. But he didn't really need to be taken care of. It was just the way I liked it. Rather, the way we liked it. I couldn't remember the last time I had been so happy. That is, until December came.

It was probably the coldest month of winter I had ever lived through. A blizzard hit the village, confining me to the interior of my house. I'm pretty sure during that time I got...what is it called...cabin fever? Yes, being stuck inside that house drove me insane. But I had Jack to talk to, so I suppose that made it a bit better. Still, there was something else that was making my life hell at the time.

I couldn't tell why, but I had been having recurring nightmares for the past few weeks. Every night, I would wake up in a cold sweat. And I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep again for the rest of the night. Despite my unhappiness and newly found unwillingness to sleep, I found comfort in Jack's presence. He was with me at night. He always was.

"I don't understand what's wrong with my head," I said irritably as I drew figures on the frosted windows. I groaned. "And why the hell did you have to make it so cold?"

Jack shrugged. "Sorry," he said. I sighed and slumped down on my bed. I covered my face with my hands. He pulled my hands away and stared at my face. "You look horrible."

I scoffed. "I know," I said, deciding not to give a sarcastic response as I would have liked to. "I haven't slept decently in weeks." I pushed myself up into a sitting position and rested my head on Jack's shoulder.

"What are those nightmares even about?" he asked, rubbing my shoulder.

"Me," I replied. "Dying." I shook my head. "Painfully."

"Hey..." Jack's hand cupped my face. "Look at me..." I lifted my head. Blue eyes met brown hues. "You're not going to die anytime soon. Not while I'm around."

I smiled and pulled away. "You can't protect me from dying, Jack," I reminded him. "And anyway..." I stood up and pressed my fingertip against the frosted window. "...it was only a dream."

I closed my eyes as I felt my friend's arms encase me from behind. His touch was cold, but I hardly even noticed; I had gotten so used to it. The window in front of me formed a fresh layer of frost as he breathed onto it. I hugged his arms to my stomach.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked. "You feel warmer than usual."

"I'm fine," I replied. "Just tired."

"Then you should sleep," he told me.

I shook my head. "I'll have nightmares," I reminded him. I pushed him away and laid down on my bed, not daring to close my eyes.

Jack flew over me to the other side of my bed and laid next to me. "You're definitely sick, Anna," he remarked. "I can tell."

"I'm not," I insisted, clearing my throat so as to avoid coughing. "I already told you, I'm tired. But I don't want to sleep." I sat up and leaned against the wooden headboard, pulling my knees to my chest.

Jack did the same. He moved closer to me until his shoulder was in contact with mine. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Just close your eyes for a minute," he whispered. "I'll be here with you. You won't have any nightmares." I didn't bother trying to keep my head up. I completely retreated into my friend's embrace and closed my eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Wow...long time, no update. Sorry about that. I've been SUPER busy lately, but my Christmas break started, so I'll probably be able to update more. :) Just to warn you guys though, I won't be able to update every single day like I did when I first started this story. Maybe every weekend. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I can definitely tell you that I am absolutely loving writing fluffy stuff for Anna and Jack, so be prepared for some more fluff sprinkled in the later chapters. :) I'll be careful not to overdo it though!**


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